By Farah G.Decano

ACCOLADES are not the monopoly of the famous, the rich and the powerful. It is time we recognized the hard work of the people whom we meet in our daily toil.   For this column, I wish to show my appreciation to the security guards at CSI.

Recently, I dropped off my mother by her lonesome near the entrance of CSI City Mall.  I could not accompany her because I had to park the car.  From my rearview mirror, I watched Mama inch her way towards the stairs. To my relief, I saw that a lady guard ran to her, extended an arm and helped my Mama climb the few steps to the mall’s ingress.  The guard did not know that I took interest in the way she cared for my mother. It was touching and I was impressed!

This security personnel exercised her wise discretion of leaving her post momentarily in order to assist a wobbly old woman.  Suddenly, the images of the previous kind gestures of the other guards at CSI came back to me. I remembered how they once provided a chair for my mother so she could relax her tired legs as she waited for me near the egress. I also recalled how one guard searched for an available wheel chair for Mama when, once, I failed to bring hers.

I salute the security guards at CSI!

I cannot help but juxtapose this humble act of service by the lady guard to the general manager and front desk manager of one of the Ascott hotels in Manila.  The desk manager, apathetic to the plight of my Mama who travelled for six hours from Dagupan City, refused entry to this elderly on a wheel chair because she failed to present a picture ID.  What mama was able to show was her up-to-date vaccination ID card only.  Despite my identification of her as my mother and my presentation of two IDs: driver’s license and my IBP ID, the desk manager remained adamant.  I did not understand where he was coming from because at that time, IATF rules were already relaxed.

Obviously, the desk manager did not use wise discretion, or was probably ignorant of the weight of presenting a professional ID.  It means I was willing to risk my profession in order to guarantee the identity of this elderly.  Even under notarial laws, a person without ID can be identified by others who have an ID.  We were able to get in eventually because Mama found her ID from her other bag.

I felt that I was not going to let this disrespectful and arrogant manager get away with his folly.  I asked for the general manager who, it turned out, was not any better.  It was only after four hours of waiting for a return call that never came, that I decided to elevate the matter by calling the hotel’s corporate office – Ascott Limited – based in Singapore.   Of course, I did my research about this general manager who tried his best to remain unavailable.

Since I have read that he was recently promoted, I was sure he would not want to incur the ire of his “international” employer.  Within minutes, he finally gave in to my request for an audience.  I gave him a good lecture on “Filipinized” hospitality.  I told him that I once managed 800 employees and I always emphasized on the principle of “intelligent implementation of policies.”  I pointed out, that because the hotel he is managing is doing business in the Philippines, however international its status may be, his staff must not disregard the Filipino custom of consideration for the elderly.

He apologized profusely. Having tried hotels in more than twenty countries around the world, I know I can demand for an upgrade if I wanted to. But I am too proud to ask for that.  It was not my bag of chips. It is un-Filipino. I was just happy when, the next day, they treated my mother right.

I hope that this traditional reverence for our elderlies is preserved not just among the masa, but also among the privileged. It is part of our identity as a Filipino.

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